On basketball nights at PCHS, the JV girls and boys teams set the tone for the hours ahead.
As life happens and numbers fluctuate, some may get pulled to play varsity.
Others will fill unfamiliar positions on their teams. Win or lose, they’ll bond and make memories to last a lifetime.
Last Friday and Saturday, PCHS hosted a JV tournament with schools visiting from White Pine, Battle Mountain, Fernley and Coral Academy.
Both gyms filled with Bobcats, Longhorns, Vaqueros, Mustangs and Falcons.
Pershing County’s JV girls went 2-2, losing to Battle Mountain and White Pine. They beat Coral Academy twice.
Coach Damien McKinney summed up the weekend.
“The girls played hard and they were able to execute at times, sparking their confidence. Watching each of them grow from game to game was the best part of the tournament.”.
The JV girls roster includes Kyria Angel (1), Eudosia Mendoza (2), Yasmine McKinney (12), Kayla Hanley (14), Ayren Sam (15), Mariana Corcuera (20), Mady Grenz (22) and Anna Happy (24).
The JV boys also went 2-2, beating White Pine and Coral Academy.
Their roster includes Conner Fecht (10), Denzel Zaldivar (12), Michael Reitz (14), Luis Sanchez (20), Tyrn Sam (22), Izayuh McGlothin (24), Daniel Jimenez (32), Tyler Miller (34), Landon Fitzpatrick (40), Efrain Aceves (42) and Tommy Meyers (44).
“Not bad for not having played a real, organized basketball game in two years,” said coach JJ Meyers. “I’m impressed by how far we’ve come in three weeks. Three weeks ago, none of the kids could dribble a ball but they’ve put in a lot of work to get where they are. We still have a long way to go, but the kids get better every single day.”
This weekend, they’ll play in the Battle Mountain JV tournament.
The boys travel to Virginia City (Dec. 17). The boys and girls play at Coral Academy – Reno (Dec. 27), Dayton (Dec. 28) and Yerington (Jan. 7).
They’ll play their first game in front of a home crowd on Jan. 8, against the Silver Stage Nighthawks.
